Nicola Sturgeon, the former first minister of Scotland, was arrested and brought into jail on Sunday, June 11, as part of a police inquiry into the financial dealings of her party in office.
The investigation is centered on whether or not the Scottish National Party (SNP), the country's main political group, mismanaged hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Sturgeon's Arrest
According to The Washington Post, the national police force of Scotland issued a statement saying they had "arrested" a 52-year-old woman and were holding her for interrogation. A representative for the ex-leader has verified that Sturgeon is the one who has been arrested.
"Nicola Sturgeon has today, Sunday 11 June, by arrangement with Police Scotland, attended an interview where she was to be arrested and questioned in relation to Operation Branchform ... Nicola has consistently said she would cooperate with the investigation if asked and continues to do so," the representative stated, as reported by BBC.
After eight years in the position, she made a surprising decision to step down as minister early this year.
Peter Murrell, Sturgeon's husband, was arrested in April for interrogation but then released without being charged. Glasgow police have searched both the couple's house and the party's headquarters.
Former party treasurer Colin Beattie was among those detained and then released by Police Scotland after being investigated as a witness.
Sturgeon gave the same reason for her resignation in February: she did not want to be a divisive figure in a country that was already deeply divided about its future. The independence movement she led in Scotland against the United Kingdom was eventually unsuccessful.
Her decision to stand down ignited a struggle for power among the party's top leaders, culminating in Humza Yousaf's election as her successor.
Independence Drive Is at Standstill
Sturgeon served as first minister for nine years, during which time she became the public face of the push to break Scotland apart from the rest of the UK. According to CNN, she explained her stand by pointing out the pressures of the spotlight and the "brutality" of frontline politics.
Since she stepped down, however, the party she headed for over a decade has been in disarray in the midst of a highly publicized police probe. According to PA Media, law enforcement officials are looking into how the SNP used funds intended for pro-independence efforts in Scotland.
The organization has controlled politics north of the border for more than a decade and wants a rerun of the 2014 independence referendum, which voters rejected 55% to 45%.
Sturgeon spearheaded the campaign for independence, but recent polls suggest declining support, and the Supreme Court blocked her attempt to organize a referendum without Westminster's approval last year.
This year, Humza Yousaf succeeded Sturgeon as leader after the latter barely prevailed in a contentious election that revealed rifts within the party.
